Bipolar Disorder

I’ve overlooked important pieces of depression. Depression isn’t just
what doctors classify as MDD, major depressive disorder. Depression can
come in a variety of forms such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
and bipolar (manic) depression (aka bi-p D).

For many years,
especially as a teen, I misclassified myself as bipolar even though I
never received an official “bipolar” diagnosis. Here’s what you need to know:

WHAT:
“Bipolar disorder, sometimes called manic depression, is characterized
by mood swings so severe that a person’s relationships, occupation, and
overall ability to function can be severely compromised.”

SYMPTOMS:
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, symptoms include:
a pendulum swing from euphoria to sadness, depression or anger — but
with temperate periods in between. Other signs of bipolar disorder
include insomnia or sleeping too much, drastic weight loss or gain,
difficulty concentrating, anxiousness, and suicidal thoughts.TREATMENT: Bi-p D can be controlled with prescription medications, often lithium, to minimized the emotional swings.

Being a 16-year-old girl in high school, I had emotional swings all the time. It’s a wonder I misdiagnosed myself.

Take a quiz to see if you have bipolar disorder and discuss it with your doctor at your convenience.